1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blank processing devices and more particularly to methods of stacking blanks on a pallet or other support following processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Blank processing machines are commonly used in manufacturing, such as automobile manufacturing for fabricating chassis parts. The blanks emerging from a blank processing machine are typically loaded on a pallet. Pallets are both ubiquitous and of standard size to fit on the forks of lift trucks and the like. It is also a common step to “tamp” the edges of the blanks resting on the pallet so that they are aligned with one another. This is done with several reciprocating “tampers”.
Problems arise when stacking blanks which exceed the size of the pallet carrying them. In this case, the blanks tend to bow and sag over the edges of the pallet causing them to slip beneath the tampers used to keep the blanks in a neatly stacked arrangement.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel approach to the support of blanks on a pallet or other blank support.